JBL Tour Pro 2 brings a whole new way to control your wireless earbudsWireless earbuds have evolved to a point where they can seem more like tiny computers. JBL’s latest offering, the flagship Tour Pro 2, takes this even further with the introduction of a touchscreen on the case, one of only a handful of models incorporating this feature – HP’s Voyager Free 60 being another example..

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Such a feature divides opinion somewhat, with PCMag and WhatHiFi deeming it something of a gimmick, while simultaneously praising the product’s build. We think it’s a more useful feature than they conclude, but still needs improvements. And after all – do you really need a touch screen for your earbuds when you already have a phone?
The case and buds certainly are well-built with a premium feel, as they should be for £250. With a waterproof rating of IPX5, the buds shake off splashes and the case comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging. It also charges wirelessly and you’ll get a solid 10 hours of playback with active noise cancelling (ANC) turned off, eight with it on; charging from empty takes two hours.
With the buds and case fully charged you can expect 40 hours of use – up there with the best on the market. A 15-minute quick charge will supply four hours of battery life, which will be welcome when you’re about to head out of the door.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Black case. Image: JBL
Bluetooth pairing is simple, and multipoint connection with Bluetooth 5.3 is supported so you can switch between devices seamlessly. There are only three sizes of ear tips provided – competing buds come with up to five sizes – but we had no issues with fitting and the buds proved comfortable and secure to wear.
JBL’s app for iOS and Android is able to detect your earbuds model, provide access to the settings and advise of any available firmware updates.
There’s a lot to see here, starting with Person-Fi 2, a multi-step process you can invoke that plays sounds and runs various analyses to tailor the buds’ sound to your own ears. This is optional and you can turn it off if you decide it’s not materially improving the listening experience. Personally we preferred it off, but with EQ adjustments – there’s an EQ section in the app with user-storable presets and 10 bands of adjustment.
JBL Tour Pro 2 app Ambient Sound Control. Image: JBL
You’re also able to turn on JBL’s Spatial Sound feature to create a virtual 360-degree effect. It’s decent with compatible material, though as with any system like this, can sometimes mangle a simple stereo signal in a way that doesn’t quite work. There’s the ability to configure the tap-to-control features on either earbud to your liking too.
Let’s turn to what, at present, makes these buds unique. Many of the features from the app are also available via the touchscreen on the case, which is responsive and intuitive to use. There’s a header that displays the current battery level in both buds and the case, as well as the time. Battery display is something many buds and cases are very bad at, often reporting an ‘averaged’ value (rather than the value for each bud) to your phone. Here, you get the full information.
The screen can mirror message notifications from your device together with a message preview and also notify you of incoming calls and let you answer them. There’s a Find My Buds feature that will play a loud sound to help you locate them, and a useful mode called SilentNow that activates ANC while disconnecting Bluetooth and setting a wake-up alarm – the idea being to turn the buds into earplugs. You can switch between EQ presets from the screen, which is genuinely useful, and also use your pictures as screensavers, which is perhaps less so, but is certainly a fun inclusion.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Champagne. Image: JBL
Speaking of noise cancellation, its implementation here is respectable, with Adaptive mode being effective when out and about, plus a special ‘TalkThru’ mode that prioritises human voices during ambient listening. There are six microphones that also help when making and taking calls; voice clarity is excellent.
Sonically, the buds are relatively impressive performers, if not quite up to the level of some others in this price range like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 or Grell’s TWS1s. The soundstage is coherent and the overall sound is fairly punchy but they lack the detail and finesse of, say, Master and Dynamic’s MW08s. On the other hand, they do offer an awful lot more features so that may be a consideration for you. We found that making some very minor EQ tweaks helped to fine-tune playback to our liking.
So do you really need touch screen control from your earbuds case? Maybe. Some people – including this reviewer – aren’t big fans of multi-tapping earbuds to invoke features and tend to go to their phone or smartwatch instead. Indeed, if you have an Apple Watch and an iPhone, some of this functionality around playback is already on your wrist. Of course, JBL’s buds are platform-agnostic, so they use their own system rather than Apple or Android’s.
JBL Tour Pro 2 in use. Image: JBL
Then there are our listening habits. When you’re listening, your phone is probably in your pocket or your hand, and your earbuds case is safely tucked away in a pocket or bag. So there’s a question of whether having the buds’ case to hand is much different to having your phone out. On balance, it’s definitely quicker to get at these tools from the case than by unlocking the phone and opening and navigating the app.
You can also remove pages from the swipe screen, streamlining it to just the things you regularly need like EQ, playback and ANC mode. Plus, some of these remain available by tapping the buds, so you may find you end up using a combination of methods to interact with them; it might just require a minor readjustment of your muscle memory. PCMag takes the view that “(some) features do feel wholly unnecessary, like the toggle for the auto play/pause function and a flashlight mode” but we’d counter that you can hide these, or simply not use them so it’s not a huge issue.
The Verge noted that one missing feature that would be a handy inclusion is track name display on the screen and that is certainly true – seeing the current track without pulling out your phone, assuming it’s technically possible.
These are feature-heavy earbuds with excellent battery life, solid if perhaps not category-leading sonic performance, and a touchscreen that is definitely not a gimmick. Don’t be surprised to see other companies try their own version of it in future.
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Boss launch AC-22LX Acoustic Amplifier Boss' new acoustic amp uses the company's new Air Feel technology to emulate the detail captured by stereo microphone setups.

3 timeless sound design tips from MYLK
We had the opportunity to sit down with veteran producer and vocalist MYLK to hear about the lessons she’s gathered across the span of her creative journey in sound design.

AI.com flips from ChatGPT to Elon Musk’s X.aiThere was a bit of a hubbub in February as it emerged that OpenAI had seemingly purchased AI.com in order to redirect it to the ChatGPT web interface. But now erstwhile backer, Twitter haver, and X lover Elon Musk appears to have taken the valuable domain off their hands, or else someone has done it for him: AI.com now redirects to X.ai, the billionaire’s embryonic machine learning research outfit.
Of course domains are bought and sold every day. But two-letter .com domains are rare and highly expensive, especially those that form words or familiar abbreviations. When AI.com started redirecting to OpenAI’s site, Mashable pointed out that the domain could hardly have sold for less than IT.com’s $3.8 million the previous year, and likely attained a far higher price given the hype around artificial intelligence in general.
No doubt OpenAI hoped that the purchase of AI.com would turn confused URL bar typers into lifetime users. Or perhaps it intended to eventually move its consumer-facing operations (like ChatGPT’s web client) over to the shorter domain. It seems we’ll never know, because now the domain goes to X.ai.
The news seems to have first been reported by Analytics India Magazine (perhaps a bidder itself at some point), but the truth is outside the transfer, there is precious little to say about the switch. It’s just bizarre and expensive enough to warrant noting here.
X.ai is still a largely notional organization, with a handful of academics and engineers working on, one imagines, whatever Musk tells them to. Its stated goal is “to understand the true nature of the universe,” but they haven’t made any visible progress since the site went up in July. Admittedly Musk has been busy during that time.

Elon Musk wants to build AI to ‘understand the true nature of the universe’

What could it mean? Did Sam Altman tire of his toy? Was the plan to shift to the new domain scrapped in favor of a new one? Was the sale tentative to begin with, or perhaps a month-to-month lease? Was there a bidding war, or did someone lose interest?
Whatever the case, it ends up just feeling like a couple rich guys squabbling over a shiny object. ChatGPT is the most recognizable brand in AI — so why pay millions to start a new one from scratch? And X.ai is already short and memorable (or at least it will be until there are 8 other Musk companies called X), and there’s nothing worth looking at on the site, so why pay so much to redirect another empty site? It’s worth noting that OpenAI never did actually confirm it bought the domain, and Musk has not yet, and would never return our emails.
Logo from a recent staging site for AI.com
I will say that if I had $10 million and the opportunity to buy AI.com, you know what I would do? Redirect it to the obvious candidate and then dangle it in front of their competitors for a 50% markup. If that didn’t work, I’d switch it to the rival and offer it to the first company. Here’s hoping some information superhighwayman (if you will) had the same brainwave and squeezed one of these billionaires for a solid payday. If so, well played.
I suspect that ultimately no one actually cares who owns AI.com, and people in fact may be suspicious of whatever corporate entity controls what is obviously a vanity domain. Let’s all just agree not to use it. That will teach everyone a lesson.

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Curve, Metronome and Alchemix offering 10% bug bounty on Vyper hackThe exploit on July 30 resulted in the theft of roughly $70 million in cryptocurrencies, bringing the bounty close to $7 million.

Ivor Drawmer (1943 - 2023) Ivor Drawmer, audio electronics engineer and founder of British pro audio manufacturer Drawmer Electronics, has sadly passed away.

Godsmack & Staind at Walnut Creek, NCGodsmack & Staind kicked off their summer tour last week with shows in St. Louis, Missouri, Raleigh, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia. I had the opportunity to cover the second show of the tour last Thursday night in Raleigh, NC at Coastal Credit Union Music Pack at Walnut Creek. The show was loaded with hard rock, crazy fans, powerful vocals, aggressive guitar riffs and a signature drum battle (but more about that later).

Godsmack and Staind are touring in support of their new albums. Godsmack’s 8th and final studio album Lighting Up the Sky released earlier this year in February of 2023 via BMG. The 11 song album was co-produced by vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna and Andrew Murdock (Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper). Musicians Tony Rombola on guitar, Robbie Merrill on bass and Shannon Larkin on drums.

“Soul On Fire” official music video from the new album Lighting Up the Sky (2023)

Godsmack’s live set included 4 singles from the new album “Soul on Fire” , “Surrender” , “You and I” and “What About Me”. Godsmack’s set had a classic heavy sound which features “high-voltage and high-energy” as Sully Erna mentions. It wouldn’t be a Godsmack show without massive pyro and 20 feet high flames shooting out of the back of the stage. Godsmack is bad ass.

The set also included classic hits like “When Legends Rise” , “Voodoo” , “Bulletproof” and “Under Your Scars” before finishing with their iconic closer “I Stand Alone”.

I mentioned a drum battle earlier. For years, Godsmack has a mid-show drum battle that shows off the skills of drummer Robbie Merrill and singer Sully Erna (yes Sully) on the drums. It’s a really unique part of the show. Sully Erna emerges from back stage on a custom Yamaha drum set. Both Erna and Merrill’s drum set’s literally spin around while they guys play back in forth on AC/DC covers and other classic rock jams. It’s a nice break in the set that really show’s off the talent of the band we know and love as Godsmack.

Staind’s upcoming album, Confessions of the Fallen is set to release on September 15, 2023 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. Staind actually opened their set in Raleigh, NC with the new single “Lowest in Me” which is the only track currently released on the new album. Starting their set with the new single was exciting way to start the show and get the fans jumping.

Aaron Lewis, lead vocalist of Staind mentioned he wanted to “modernize the sound and bring us up to date” with the new album. Let’s be honest, it’s been 12 years since Staind has released any new music so fans are eagerly anticipating any new music. Guitarist Mike Mushok, Johnny April on bass and Sal Giancarelli on drums.

Staind’s live set featured hits like “Right Here” , “So Far Away” , “It’s Been A While” and finally closing out with “Mudshovel”. Fans were also treated to an acoustic version of “Epiphany” by Aaron Lewis.

Nothing More was originally slated to provide opening support for this tour but dropped out last minute due to personal issues within the band. Fortunately for us, Mix Master Mike of notorious hip-hop group Beastie Boys stepped in and provided an opening DJ/turntablist set as well as a custom mashup of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as the walk out song for Godsmack.

Godsmack and Staind have also announced additional tour dates for this Fall with opening support from hard rock legends like I Prevail, Atreyu and Jason Hook (formerly Five Finger Death Punch) new band Flat Black.

You can view additional tour dates on Godsmack’s website.

godsmack.com/tour

VSL Synchron Duality Strings & M1/M2 updates VSL have extended the introductory pricing offer on their recently released Synchron Duality Strings, as well as announcing native M1 and M2 support for three more of their products.

Amazon Music, Bandsintown join forces to help artists sell more merchResponding to the growing importance of merch as an income stream for musicians, Amazon Music and Bandsintown have collaborated to launch a new merch integration. Starting today, fans can shop. Continue reading
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Amsterdam pledges €2.2 million over the next four years to boost nightlife sceneOfficials in Amsterdam have pledged €2.2 million over the next four years in a bid to boost the city’s nightlife scene.
According to the city’s deputy mayor Touria Meliani, the fund is to address the problems of lack of suitable space, rising costs and short-term leases. She adds that nightlife plays a “significant role in the renewal of Amsterdam’s culture” [per NLTimes].
The money will be used to find and nurture alternative venues for nighttime spaces, including empty tunnels, old bomb shelters and unused garages.
In 2024, organisers of the scheme will work alongside the Amsterdam Fonds de Kunst, a fund for culture and arts in the city, allocating €1.2 million of the total funds to help young creatives “who want to organise, create, and do business at night”.
Additionally, there will be funds set aside for sound insulation to limit noise complaints in residential areas.
The announcement comes shortly after the government in Berlin announced a €947 million culture fund to support new clubs and cultural spaces in the German capital.
These initiatives are positive not only in the sense that European cities are getting investment to improve their nightlife, but also in that they’re indicative of a growing appreciation by public officials of the importance of nighttime culture, both economically and in terms of the wellbeing of their constituents.
And while Amsterdam’s €2.2 million pledge pales in comparison to Berlin’s €947 million, the fact officials are increasingly allocating funds to nighttime culture is, no doubt, a positive thing for the industry.
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Amazon Music partners with Bandsintown for new merch integrationFans can now shop for merch via artist profile pages on the Bandsintown website and app
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Tame Impala and Thundercat release limited cheetah print 7” vinyl record of No More LiesThundercat and Tame Impala have released a limited edition 7” vinyl of their collaboration track, No More Lies.

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The limited-edition record, whose album artwork depicts a photo of a cheetah, fittingly dons a single-sided cheetah screenprint 7” disc. It can be pre-ordered now but won’t be released until 29 September on Brainfeeder.
The song, released in April 2023, is the first new Thundercat music the musician has released in three years. It’s a roaring pairing between the two, with their respective styles complimenting one another well; Thundercat’s synth noodling works well with Kevin Parker’s vocals.

On the track, Thundercat reflects on a failed relationship, admitting, “But it’s not your fault, I’m just kind of ass”. The track concludes with a raw monologue where he ponders the paradox of honesty and care in relationships: “I speak the truth because I care, yet I also deceive for the same reason.”
“I’ve wanted to work with Kevin since the very first Tame Impala album,” Thundercat writes in the release bio. “I feel that I knew that us working together would be special. I’ve been excited about this song for a long time and hope to create more with Kevin in the future.”
One fan comments on Bandcamp: “The world needs a whole album of this collaboration… soundtrack of the summer 2023…”
He also recently told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1: “For me personally, this is one of the greater moments. I don’t even know where to begin with this,” he gushed. “This is me and Kevin Parker. And from the day I heard Kevin’s music, I knew me and him could do something. I knew it from the minute I heard it, I was like, ‘Man, I would’ve been in his band.’”
The limited cheetah print 7” record of No More Lies can be purchased via Thundercat’s Bandcamp page.
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TuneCore partners with MBW as exclusive supporter of ‘Trailblazers’ interview seriesTrailblazers highlights forward-thinking entrepreneurs in all corners of the globe, from North America to Latin America, Europe to Asia-Pacific, Africa and beyond
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Baby Audio’s BA-1 expansion packs are a retro producer’s dreamBaby Audio has launched four mighty expansion packs for its BA-1 synth plugin that are just begging to be snapped up by any retro-loving producer.
Each pack has a vintage game card aesthetic, and hosts 64 presets of classic soundscapes from the 1980s.

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These style-specific preset expansion packs have been designed for the BA-1 synth plugin, and have been designed and crafted by “industry-leading” sound designers. And if you’re looking to go all out, you can even buy a bundle of all four packs.
Those available are:

Neon Black – Created with film composer The Unfinished (Matt Bowdler), this pack offers dark retro soundscapes and is described as offering ‘80s “horror movie magic” but with a modern twist. The presets are inspired by the work of John Carpenter, and sort of give off Stranger Things soundtrack vibes.
City Pop Vol. 1 – Baby Audio teamed up with Ryuichiro Yamaki for this one. “Arguably, no one mastered Japanese 80s synths better than the Japanese producers themselves,” writes the brand on its official website. This pack is described as being more colourful, stylish and reminiscent of Tokyo in the ‘80s.
City Pop Vol. 2 – Also created with Yamaki, Vol. 2 explores the origins of JPOP and Kawaii. These presets are much brighter and bubbly.
Electro Elixir – Created by Bastiaan Barth (Solidtrax), this pack is inspired by and aims to capture the magic of the first encounter you have with a synthesiser. It explores the roots of electro and synth pop.

Baby Audio’s BA-1 was launched in April this year, it is the brand’s first ever soft synth and is modelled after the 80s cult favourite CS01 analogue monosynth by Yamaha.
Each pack is available for $10 as part of an intro sale, or you can buy the whole bundle for $29.
Find out more at Baby Audio.
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Songwriters are using AI Generated voices for song pitchesSome may see it as cheating while others find it genius, however no matter what you think AI will not be stopped by creating new strides for music professionals. by. Continue reading
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